The Trio - Part Two
by kat69d
Summary: It's been 70years since Jo and Steve saw each other last...what are they going to do now that they're back together (but still missing the last member of their Trio)...how does Loki trying to dominate the Earth play into their new life?
1. Chapter 1

**Note: I don't own anything except Jo and the plot (which will follow the Avengers movie to a point)...Enjoy!**

* * *

"We found him," the voice said on the other end of the phone.

"Really? Where is he?"

"New York. We're just waiting for him to wake up."

"I'll be there in 2hours."

Hanging up the phone, I ran from my kitchen, snagging my keys along the way, and flew down the stairs. My Ducati Diavel awaited me at the bottom. I mounted the bike, started it up, and took off. The typical trip from Washington, DC took nearly 4hours but I wasn't that strict about following speed restrictions, especially today.

The 295 N was decently sparse of other traffic so I didn't have to speed as much as I expected. When I hit the city, I knew where they would have Steve so I headed straight there. Times Square usually has a large crowd but this was different. People were just standing around in a circle. I spotted black SUVs and knew I was in the right place. Parking my bike, I pushed my way through. I was nearing the front and begun smiling.

"STEVEN CHRISTOPHER ROGERS," I yelled.

The few people still ahead of me separated and I laid my eyes on my brother for the first time in nearly 70years. He looked exactly the same but that was expected for being frozen. I paused briefly before flying into his arms. We held each other tight and he swung me around. Steve let me down and checked me over.

"Jo, what happened?" he asked.

"I'll explain in a minute. There's something I have to do first."

Steve let me go and I turned to the tall black man beside him. Nick Fury looked down at me with his one eye. I gave him a small smile before slapping him across the face.

"You bastard, we had an arrangement. There's a reason why I'm your speed dial #1, you know, in case you ever found my brother. I shouldn't've had to hear it from someone else."

"Director?" a man questioned, stepping forward from the uniformed men.

"It's alright. Ms. Rogers, even with our arrangement I could have you arrested for assaulting a high ranking member of S.H.I.E.L.D."

"High ranking member? Who do you fucking think started S.H.I.E.L.D? I was part of this organization before you were even born. Hell, they had offered me the position of Director but I'm better out in the field. I'm taking my brother out to explain and it will be his decision if he comes back."

I grabbed Steve's hand and pulled him over to the Ducati. It would be weird riding with Steve behind me but I wasn't chancing him spilling out so soon after waking up. Our destination was Brooklyn, specifically a little pizzeria we used to go to back in the '40s.

"I can't believe this place is still here."

"They almost closed a few times but they managed to keep afloat. Tommy, the grandson of Leo, took over for his father a couple years ago. They still use the same recipes."

"How long was I gone for, Jo?" he asked.

"Way too long, nearly 70years."

"Peggy? How do you still look the same?"

I led Steve into the pizzeria and motioned to Tommy. I always ordered the same thing each time I visited so he knew what I wanted. This time I silently told him 2 pizzas and 2 drinks. Steve dropped into the seat and waited for me to begin my tale.

"I spent the first week in a coma of sorts. Once I awoke, I began searching. Plotting any route that you could have taken and where you could have gone down. Howard flew me at first before just teaching me, so I could fly myself. I learned any technique that could help locate you while trying to figure out more about our bond.

"Since you went down, I have constantly felt a cold pressure around my heart. Over time, I have learned to push that feeling to the back of my mind. After I met some interesting people, I came to learn what was happening, but more about that later."

Tommy brought our drinks and I took a sip.

"Colonel Phillips and Peggy helped me any way they could but after a decade of nothing, they tried to get me to stop. They think I did since I enrolled at university but I still kept up the search. The S.S.R was eventually turned into the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division or S.H.I.E.L.D.

"I have spent the last several decades searching for you, earning degree after degree at university, and doing field work."

"What happened to Peggy? Everyone?"

I waited until Tommy placed the pizza on the table before telling Steve of the woman he loved.

"She helped me search in the beginning but the S.S.R pulled her for another placement. Peggy always asked about you when we talked but she eventually married. Ironically, the man she married was someone you saved from that HYDRA base where they were keeping Bucky. They had 3 kids and one even followed her into working at S.H.I.E.L.D. Peggy was always a force to be reckoned with but the cancer was too strong, despite everything she did."

"When did she pass?" Steve asked, his eyes slightly wet due to tears.

"Five years ago."

I gave him a few minutes before telling him about the other Howling Commandos and Howard Stark. He picked up on the change of tone when I talked about Howard. Sure, we had a relationship at one point but when he met Maria, it was over. I was still close to Howard and Maria, even being named godmother to Tony and doing the eulogy at their funeral. When he became older, Tony stopped calling me Auntie Jo since it was awkward for him to call someone who looked younger than him Aunt.

"Explain how you still look the same."

"Remember how we didn't know about my birth father? Well, I found him and it's because of him. My frozen age stems from my healing factor. I will never age past 21. Luckily I don't have claws that rip through my skin like dear old Dad."

"What?"

"His name is James Logan, but he prefers Logan. He had bone claws that ripped through the space between his knuckles but then our government stepped in and bequeathed adamantium claws to him. The procedure actually covered every bone in his body. The metal is similar to what makes up your shield."

"He couldn't have survived that except if he could heal like you."

"Exactly. There's a term now for what we are. Mutants, people who are born with a different gene that gives them a special gift. I've met plenty of other mutants over the years and even taught for a few years at a school for them. Great bunch of kids, well, adults now."

We took a few minutes to enjoy the pizza before Steve started questioning me about history. Over the next hour or two, I touched on a lot of different topics: government, medicine, war, technology. He seemed to soak up everything I told him and promised to put together a list of things for him to read up on.

"You mentioned you did field work. What kind?"

"I've done some infiltrating, deep undercover stuff. I work with S.H.I.E.L.D and Professor Xavier so field work varies so much. The professor has had some problems with other mutants so I've been helping to stop them. They believe they're the superior race and that humans should bow down to them."

"I've heard that before."

"Steve, I don't want to push you but you'll need to figure out what you want to do now. I have an apartment here in Brooklyn that you can stay at or I'm sure S.H.I.E.L.D would put you up somewhere nice. That war is over but there are always others happening all over the world."

"I don't know, Jo. I was changed to help stop HYDRA so unless with Schmidt's death the organization went belly up, I should stop them."

We finished up the pizza and I paid the bill while Steve waited outside for me. He was gazing at the buildings to see any changes. My apartment was close so we left the Ducati and walked.

"I should go pick you up some clothes and shoes. Can't have you walking around barefoot."

"I trust you know what I like. Just please don't dress me up like that," he said, pointing out a gothic male.

"I think you could pull off that look," I laughed.

Steve nudged me with his shoulder before wrapping his arm around my shoulders.

"We're here."

It didn't take long for Steve to recognize it. It's our old apartment building.

"Don't tell me you kept the same apartment for 70years?"

"Not quite. I have the entire floor."

As we headed upstairs, I explained how I purchased the other apartments when they came available and renovated. I closed in two of the doors but left the other two functional so it was possible to access whichever end of the apartment you wanted from the hallway. There were 2 master bedrooms and 1 guest bedroom. The others were set up as an office, a library, and the last was the room that stored any odds and ends. I had a large chef's kitchen put in and a huge section of the apartment was an entertainment area, which Tony loved setting up for me.

Steve was stunned when I showed him around the place. I had the few meagre possessions we had before and during the war as well as some items I collected over the years. Pictures were the focal point throughout the apartment.

"So when I renovated I took the liberty of building you a room, in hopes that we'd find you one day. I've kept it clean so it shouldn't need that much airing out. There are a few pieces of clothing in the closet but they're from the '40s. Classic, I know," I joked. "It's not that decorated except for a few photos but we can do whatever you want to it."

His blue eyes immediately landed on the photo of Bucky, Steve, Peggy, and I. We had taken it a few days before Bucky died/vanished. Part of me was holding out hope that he was out there somewhere, even if he was a 90ish year old man. Steve picked up the frame and gave it a small smile.

"I know it might be a bit hard to adjust to the 21st century but I'm here to help."

"What about work? Don't you have that to worry about?"

"Nope. I'm currently a student doing my umpteenth Masters degree. I had to transfer out when one of my professors at Culver dropped off the face of the Earth. The university closed down the department for a year but I had already transferred to a school here on the east coast. I can always complete it later."

"Jo," Steve started, as he put down the photo and turned to face me.

"I know your stance on education but I can get about 10years before I have to reinvent myself. I can't really pass myself off as someone in their 30s. I am currently Josephine Rogers III, age 20. With having someone on the inside of the government, they can help fudge my records so I don't have a problem getting a drivers' license or passport."

"Why can't you just be who you are? People know about mutants so you shouldn't have to lie."

"Steve, public opinion on mutants varies drastically. Some think that we're freaks and should be rounded up and locked away. Some think we're regular people with special abilities. If I went into a job interview and said that I was a mutant, I probably wouldn't get a job. Being a daughter of myself is easier."

It appeared that Steve was going to object so I cut him off. While giving him the opportunity to look around the apartment and relax, I could run out and get him the necessities. Back on the Ducati, I headed to the mall. My first stop was to an army surplus store to pick up a duffle bag. Outfitting Steve with clothes was a big job and a regular backpack wouldn't work.

Filling up the bag didn't take long but it was an outrageous amount. Sometimes living back in the '40s was a God send. I had seen the prices jump over the years but with some jeans costing over $100, it's ridiculous. My cell rang as I exited the mall.

"Hello?"

"Jo, the Director is requesting Steve Rogers at Headquarters in 1hour," Maria Hill said.

"Yes, of course. I'll drop everything to bow down to what Fury wants while he didn't have the audacity to let me know that my brother was found. I had to hear it from you and it sounded like you had to call me from the bathroom."

My friend laughed and said she'll tell Fury that I couldn't be reached. I told her I would bring Steve by Headquarters in the morning. Slinging my leg over the bike, I bid her farewell and pulled the straps of the duffle bag over my shoulders.


	2. Chapter 2

**Note: I don't own anything except Jo and the plot (which will follow the Avengers movie to a point)...I took some dialogue straight out of the movie because it fit the scene so don't kill me over it...Enjoy!**

* * *

When I got home, Steve was already in the kitchen. He had raided my fridge and made a huge sandwich. I had to chuckle at him since I knew his metabolism was very high but we had barely eaten that pizza an hour ago. His eyebrow raised when he saw the Army duffle bag stuffed full.

"I got a bit of everything. Those khakis you like to wear and jeans, T-shirts, button ups, some flannel shirts, socks, underwear, and a couple pair of shoes. I kept it as close to what you used to wear in the '40s but some of the T-shirts are updated with current bands or things. I'll tell you all about them so you know what you're talking about when someone asks. I also picked up some books on current topics."

"Thanks, Jo. I hope you didn't go out of your way to get the clothes."

"Not at all. I had to send a girl into the back to check on sizes but that was the only issue. I'll drop the bag off in your room and you can unpack and relax. We don't have to be at S.H.I.E.L.D until tomorrow morning. I've got some paperwork to do in the office. Since you were working for the S.S.R when you disappeared and have reappeared, you are entitled to back wages. I need to figure out inflation and the total amount of wages they owe you.

"Unless you want to sit down and talk. I don't want to overcrowd you after just waking up though."

"Go and do your paperwork. I'll be in my room reading those books you got me."

"You sure? I feel like I'm abandoning you."

"Don't be, Josephine. You have spent 70-ish years looking for me so it's going to be an adjustment having me back. I was alone and frozen so it's going to be an adjustment for me too. Go do your paperwork, I'll read, and we'll build up to where we were before I disappeared."

I hugged Steve and kissed his cheek. Heading into the office, I booted up the computer and sat down. I couldn't believe that Steve was back. I felt so warm but the pressure was still around my heart. If the cold was from Steve being frozen, could the squeezing pressure be from Bucky?

Sitting back in the chair, I closed my eyes and took stock of myself. I had the pressure around my heart but I was feeling something else now. My left arm felt odd. I couldn't put it into words except that it felt heavy, tingly, cold, and just very weird. Taking a breath, I focused on pushing these new feelings back so I could continue to function normally.

Pulling up a simple inflation calculator on the Internet, I learned that a single American dollar in 1945 could buy what roughly $12 buys today. Not factoring in interest, Steve's annual wage of $3,300 in 1945 equals about $41,000 today. That would have changed each year so rather than doing all that math, I estimated that S.H.I.E.L.D owed him about a million dollars. More if I threatened them with hazard pay. I'm sure they would get some accountant grunt to do the actual math and then pay the million since it's a low ball figure.

"Is there a gym around here? I can't really sit still," Steve said, popping his head into the office.

"There's one on the corner, an old boxing gym that's still open. We could hang a punching bag here if you want."

"I'll go check out the gym first. Want to come with me? Show me around the neighbourhood."

We stopped in at the gym first and Steve signed up. The owner and Steve talked boxing and stuff while I waited. Afterwards, I took him around the neighbourhood and we compared it today to what it was like in the '40s.

"Fury wants to debrief you in the morning so we'll have to head in for 0800. Fury's a morning person and I mean morning person. He tried to have me meet him at 0700 once because his reasoning is if he's up at the crack of dawn, every S.H.I.E.L.D employee should be. I kinda told him where he could stuff it."

"Stuff it?"

"It means I said no and for him to never recommend a meeting that early again."

We finished up and Steve headed back to the gym. He would be back later after a few rounds. I offered to spar with him but, naturally, he couldn't spar with a girl. I headed back to the apartment to relax.

The meeting in the morning went quickly; it was the follow ups in Medical that took forever. They wanted a baseline reading of what Steve could do and needless to say, he can do a lot. I ended up in the shooting range to pass the time. Over the years, my marksmanship has drastically improved and I kept a target for every time I practised.

"Jo, I need a partner," Natasha Romanoff said, as she strolled into the armoury.

I was handing in the weapon and collecting my target when she entered. Not often did Natasha ask for a sparring partner but each time I always agreed, just to have my ass handed to me. It was the only way I was going to learn any new moves.

A couple hours later, Steve found us in the S.H.I.E.L.D gym beating the shit out of each other. Natasha tried a roundhouse and I was able to duck out of the way at the last second. I attempted a left hook and she blocked. My brother stood on the edge of the mats and watched us. We ducked, weaved, and punched for another 10minutes before calling it quits.

"You've gotten better," the Black Widow said.

"I still see my martial arts instructor twice a week."

"Rumour is that isn't the only thing you see him for."

She was right. After those lessons, we usually end up in bed together. Something with the endorphins and the fact my instructor looks like a God. His body isn't too muscular, more on the leaner side, but you know his strikes could be deadly. He knows how to move his body through the moves and to watch those lithe muscles ripple is quite arousing.

"Rumours aren't always right. Ready to go, Steve?"

* * *

Over the last couple of months, Steve has gotten into a routine of jogging around Brooklyn, going to the gym, jogging around Brooklyn, and going to the gym. He wasn't meant to sit around and wait but Fury wouldn't clear him for any missions. The only time he spent relaxing was when he's catching up on the last 70years. I had made a small list of things for him to learn about, movies to watch, and some music to listen to. I left out bands like Marilyn Manson and Skrillex but had him listening to AC/DC, Hendrix, and Johnny Cash among others.

I had also been benched from missions for the last little while, probably because of the slap I gave Fury. I didn't mind since I had other things to work on. I was working on a paper for an Ancient Civilization class when my cell rang. The ringtone, a death march, signified Fury so I let it ring a few times before answering.

"You're needed for a mission."

"Well, hello to you too."

"I need you in Calcutta. You need to convince Dr. Banner to come back with you. The information is on the jet. You leave in an hour."

"Dr. Banner? Haven't seen my old professor since he went MIA. Sure, why not?"

"Go armed," he warned before hanging up.

Going to my wall safe, I punched in the code and removed my Sig Sauer gun. I checked the barrel, the clip, and grabbed an extra clip for more ammunition. I didn't know why Fury said to go armed when it's just Dr. Banner but it never hurt to have a weapon with you. True, I always carried a knife but a gun can be a better choice at times.

Leaving a note for Steve, I left the apartment and headed to the airfield. Even in the jet, the trip to Calcutta was going to take a few hours so I brought along my laptop to finish off my paper if time permitted. Unfortunately, time didn't permit because I studied the info package Fury left concerning the Tesseract. He had a file on Dr. Banner but I already knew what it would say.

Touching down in the city, I blended in to watch Dr. Banner for half a day. He was weary about where he went and always looked over his shoulder. I couldn't just walk up to him but I could have him come to me. With speaking to a local in the poverty stricken community, I learned there was an outbreak of a disease that caused people to be bed ridden and sick with a fever.

The agents who came with me cleared out a small shack for me to use for the meeting. I paid a little girl to grab the American doctor and bring him here. It wasn't the best way to ask for his help but I'm sure he would have run if I had just approached him in the street.

"Hey, little girl," he whispered, coming into the shack.

I watched as she jumped out of a window and he looked stumped as to what was happening.

"Should have gotten paid up front, Banner," he mumbled to himself.

"Hello, Dr. Banner."

I walked out of the shadows with my hands empty and raised.

"Ms. Rogers? What's going on?"

"I'll explain for the rouse if you could sit for a second."

"Who are you here for? General Ross?"

"Who?" I asked. "I'm here on behalf of S.H.I.E.L.D and they are requesting your help. Your expertise in gamma radiation is needed, Doctor, to literally save the world."

"Why you?"

"Because I work for S.H.I.E.L.D and was available? Because I was your student and they thought you would trust me easier? At least it's me and not another agent who would have bagged and tagged you by now."

"The Big Guy wouldn't allow that."

"What Big Guy?" I asked.

Dr. Banner stared at me in surprise.

"They brought you in and didn't tell you? What if the Big Guy killed you?"

"Whoever this Big Guy is can't kill me. I'll let you in on a secret, Dr. Banner. I can't be killed. I've been like this since about 1943. Now, I don't care about the Big Guy. I just need that big giant brain of yours. This Tesseract has enough power to wipe the human race off the face of the Earth. We're trying to stop it from happening."

I slid over the small computer tablet to Dr. Banner and let him scan through the documents.

"It emits a low level gamma signature that is too weak for us to trace. No one knows gamma radiation more than you and I know that's true since I sat through your lectures."

"I always wondered why you were in my class."

"Science credits. I wanted to take something different and I saw you walking across campus and someone mentioned your course. So I signed up."

It didn't take long before he was agreeing to come with me. I escorted him out of the shack and he noticed the gun tucked into the back of my jeans.

"Weren't planning on using that on me, were you?" he chuckled dryly.

"Fury said to come armed so I came armed but I wouldn't have shot you, Dr. Banner. I think I could have taken you down hand to hand if you attacked."

"They really didn't tell you."

"Your file is in the jet but I know about your academic achievements and all that. I don't think there's anything else I need to know when you're helping us find the Tesseract."

Dr. Banner made me read through the file on the way back to the States. I scanned the documents on his exposure to gamma radiation and the result because of it.

"Huh? That's you? Shitty. Sorry to hear that but I'm more concerned about the cube. I lost my brother because of it 70years ago and will not lose him again for another 70. We need to find this thing and then hide it away."

We had to transfer to a helicopter after touching down with the jet. Where we were going, the jet wouldn't really be able to land. It was a short trip but I could hear Dr. Banner whispering under his breath. The helicopter landed on the Helicarrier and we disembarked. I noticed Steve talking to Natasha near the side.

"Dr. Banner," Steve called, offering the man his hand.

"Oh, yeah. Hi."

"They told me you'd be coming. No one can say no to Jo. Word is you can find the cube."

"Is that the only word on me?"

"The only one that counts."

"You must be related to Ms. Rogers."

"Her older brother actually."

"This must seem strange to you after being frozen for 70years."

"This actually seems familiar."

"Gentlemen, you may wanna step in side for a minute? It's gonna get hard to breathe," Natasha said.

"This a submarine?"

"Oh, that's smart. Put the Big Guy in a submerged pressurized metal container."

"Not quite," I yelled over the noise.

The Helicarrier began lifting out of the water and the giant engines could be seen.

"Oh no. This is much worse," Dr. Banner quipped as we headed inside.


	3. Chapter 3

**Note: I don't own anything except Jo and the plot (which will follow the Avengers movie to a point)...I took some dialogue straight out of the movie because it fit the scene so don't kill me over it...Enjoy!**

* * *

We ended up inside on the bridge and I watched as Maria did her second in command stuff while Fury stood at the helm giving orders. I knew that the Helicarrier would go into stealth mode but I wasn't sure why Steve was handing over $10 to Fury. I made a mental note to ask my brother later about it.

"Thank you for coming, Doctor."

"Thanks for asking nicely. So how long am I staying?"

"I kinda promised him that he'd only be here until we found the Tesseract," I piped up before Fury could reply.

"Then I guess once we get our hands on the Tesseract, you're in the clear. Agent Rogers seems to have that already planned out."

"Where are you with that?"

I listened as Dr. Banner and Phil Coulson talked the technical aspect of finding the cube. I just wanted to see how Steve was doing and then sleep. I was running on low energy since I couldn't sleep on the jet. Fury sent Natasha to show Dr. Banner his laboratory and I took that as a cue to grab Steve; although Phil had another idea.

"If it's not too much trouble, I mean…it's a vintage set."

"Of what?"

"Captain America cards. Your sister helped me collect them."

He threw me a look and I shrugged my shoulders. Steve promised to sign the cards when they had a moment and slipped away from Phil to join me at the table.

"I'll give you a quick tour of the Helicarrier before I catch a few winks. Dr. Banner sure doesn't talk much but I still couldn't sleep around him after I found out about the Big Guy. Nothing's wrong with being different but it still put me on edge."

"Let me guess, you didn't read the file Fury gave you."

I shook my head and showed Steve the vital parts of the Helicarrier: the cafeteria, the sleeping quarters, the gym, the laboratory, and then back to the bridge. I left him there while I hurried off to my quarters to sleep.

"Rogers, you're needed at Command."

"Just go Trekkie and refer to it as the bridge. So much easier and geekier, Phil," I replied, barely an hour later into my comms.

I splashed some water on my face and hurried to the bridge. There had been a sighting in Germany and Fury was sending a team in to collect this Loki guy. Steve was already decked out in his new suit and Natasha was getting the last little bit of information from Fury. We hurried to the deck and grabbed a Quinjet. On the way to Germany, we didn't talk much. Steve was already in his zone and Natasha never left her zone and she was focused on flying the jet.

"So we snatch him up? I doubt he's going to tell us where it is."

We found Loki standing over the crowd in Stuttgart. Steve did the thing he did best and that was jumping into the line of fire before he thought things through.

"You know, the last time I was in Germany and saw a man standing above everyone else, we ended up disagreeing."

"Loki, drop the weapon and stand down," Natasha said in the microphone.

Loki tried to blast the Quinjet but she moved it in time. I watched as Steve fought Loki before loud music came over the sound system. I knew who was coming and it put a smile on my face. Tony flew in and blasted the bad guy. The sceptre fell out of his grasp and both Steve and Tony stood over him.

"Mr. Stark."

"Captain."

I shook my head and waited while Natasha landed the Quinjet. Steve grabbed a set of handcuffs and shackled the man's wrists together. Tony handed over the sceptre to me and I knew the man's eyes were following it. I moved it slightly to the right and then the left and Loki's eyes never wavered. It was like he was transfixed.

We took off back to the Helicarrier and I sat across from Loki holding the sceptre. Steve and Tony were up near the front where Natasha was.

"So this sceptre is pretty important to you," I said.

"An insignificant person like you will never understand the complexity of it."

"I don't need to know the complexity of it; just that you really want it back. What would you do if I snapped it in half? Or have Tony blast it to pieces?"

"It cannot be destroyed," he smiled.

The sky in front of the Quinjet lit up like a Christmas tree. We were flying right into a storm.

"Where's this coming from?"

"What's the matter? Scared of a little lightning?" Tony mocked as Loki wrung his hands together.

"I'm not overly fond of what follows."

_**Thump!**_

Something heavy landed on the roof of the Quinjet. The back door flew open and a tall blond guy flew in. He was quick in grabbing Loki and flying back out. Steve barely had any time to take a step before they were gone.

"Who is that guy?"

"Another Asgardian, I believe."

"What is our plan of attack?" Steve asked.

"Attack," Tony replied, flying out the back of the jet.

I took one look at Steve and rolled my eyes. I grabbed the parachute and threw it at my brother. I knew he was going to go after Loki. He was the type never to let prisoners go until they were turned in for trial. He donned the parachute and jumped with his shield held close to his body.

"Just go get him," I yelled after him.

Natasha flew down as close as she could get and we watched as the men fought it out. I kept one eye on Loki who was watching the fight himself from an overlooking cliff. The big blond guy brought his hammer looking weapon down on Steve's shield and the vibration actually shook the Quinjet. The men gathered Loki and Natasha quickly touched down to let them on board.

"Worked all that testosterone out of your systems? You destroyed a section of that forest and if we didn't have better things to do, I would make you plant new trees to replace what you destroyed," I said. "And, no, Tony, a large donation to some save the tree foundation wouldn't have saved your ass from being right beside this brute digging in the dirt.

"I am Josephine but everyone calls me Jo," I introduced myself to the new guy.

"Thor, Lady Jo."

"She ain't no lady," Tony joked.

"Don't forget I have naked baby pictures of you so don't piss me off. I would just like to get back to the Helicarrier and get some sleep."

We made it back but I still wasn't allowed sleep. Instead, while Tony and Dr. Banner got to work on finding the Tesseract, I was stuck on Loki duty. It was my job to push the giant button that would release the cell if he so much as breathed on the glass.

"Let me get some coffee and chocolate and I'll be fine to be his watchdog."

Loaded up with an extra large cup of strong coffee and a large chocolate bar, I made my way to the prisoner. Fury was just finishing up talking to the God when I entered the room.

"Thank you for joining us, Rogers."

"My pleasure, Director. I would have stopped to grab Loki some magazines but I doubt he would appreciate anything we had. No articles about 'How to Murder Innocents'."

Fury left and I settled down in a chair right across from the cell. Babysitting duties were the worst part but someone had to do it.

"You are not like the other Midgardians," he said.

"Yeah, I've heard the speech before. We're Gods amongst insects. We should control those beneath us. Blah blah blah. Save your 'I'm holier than thou' speech. You may be an actual God but that doesn't give you the right for murdering so many people."

"World domination is not so clean cut. Casualties will happen."

"Not when we can stop it. Besides, I doubt someone like yourself could pull it off alone. There's probably a puppeteer handling your strings."

I tuned him out and focused my energy on myself. Over the years, I have managed to trance myself but still be aware of my surrounding area. Since I couldn't sleep, I was hoping this would also help along with the coffee and chocolate.

A couple hours later, Natasha came in to give me a break. She tried to grab my shoulder while I was in a trance but I caught her wrist before she was able to touch me. I stood up and stretched out my body from sitting in the lotus position while in a chair.

"Fury wants to see you briefly."

"Great. Just what I need, a Fury induced headache on top of barely any sleep," I muttered, as I left the room.

I hurried off to the bridge and found Fury standing at his station overlooking everyone.

"Director, Natasha said you needed to see me."

"What is your opinion about the prisoner?"

Whoa, the man was asking for my opinion. He never does such a thing.

"Are you feeling alright, Director? You never really cared about my opinion in the past."

"There's always a first time for everything."

I sighed, "Well, when we captured him he didn't really care about how he was treated or the fact that his brother showed up to snatch him away. His entire focus was on the sceptre. Something in his eyes showed darkness but I can't quite place my finger on what. While watching over him, he would barely move out of his position sitting on the bed but I could feel his eyes watching me.

"I doubt he could pull this off on his own. There must be someone helping him."

"Thor mentioned the Chitauri, a race of alien beings from another realm at his brother's beck and call."

"Can I speak to Thor briefly? He would have insight into who could he helping Loki with this destruction."

"Loki means to unleash the Hulk. Keep Banner in the lab, I'm on my way," Natasha said over the comms. "Send Thor as well."

"Can't the guy ever catch a break," I said, turning to leave the bridge.

"Head back to Loki. I want you there to release him if need be. Do not leave your post," Fury ordered.

I waved him off and ran back to the cell. Loki was pacing within the confines of the cell. He didn't seem jittery but almost calm and collected. I walked right up to the door of the cell and watched the God for a moment.

"While you're bat shit crazy, there must be some goodness lurking in there. Call off your alien lackeys and this unnecessary war."

"Your other agent nearly pleaded for me to save one man while you are here to plead for the world."

"I've seen this world nearly destroyed due to wars over my lifetime and do not look forward to the clean up afterwards when we kick your ass and win. So I'm asking you to stop this now before it goes any further."

"Lifetime? Your lifetime does not even compare to my lifetime."

"Yes, my lifetime. You said that I wasn't like other humans and you were right. I was born back in the 1920s. I can't die, Loki, so I've seen the world change with every war that has happened. You may think we aren't prepared to take you and your alien friends on but I know we will do our damned best to stop you from destroying this world. At whatever costs."

"Hmm," he said.

The Helicarrier shook from an explosion. A wide smile appeared on his face and I backed up. There was no way out of the cell but if he had friends coming, then I needed to be ready. I went over to the panel and pressed in my code to prepare the drop. All I needed to do was push the button.

Static and broken communication was coming through my comms and I tried to decipher it. Throwing my comms away, I rerouted the comms to the overhead speakers. I hoped it was just my ear piece that was malfunctioning and I would be able to hear everything that's going on.

"Engine…down."

"Coulson…detention…Jo…" Fury said, cutting in and out.

"Jo what? Bridge, this is Jo," I said, hitting the correct button on the panel to patch me through to the bridge.

I received silence in return so I headed over to the wall and hit a secret button. A small door opened and an arm swung out. This selection of weapons wasn't as big as what we carried in the armoury but it allowed quick access to guns and magazines of bullets. I checked the gun tucked into the back of my pants and grabbed a larger weapon. I threw a few extra magazines into my pockets before closing the door.

"Don't you look stunning, my dear," Loki complimented.

"Flattery won't get you anywhere. If you weren't a God, I would put a bullet through your head and stop this right now. Maybe I should test if Gods are really immortal and press the button. See how you do falling 30,000feet and smashing against the rocks below."

The main door to the detention area opened and a gun peaked through. It was another S.H.E.I.L.D agent so I lowered my weapon.

"I want a perimeter set up surrounding the cell. I bet my life that his friends are coming for him," I called out.

Rather than a reply, I was shot in the chest. I dropped my weapon and staggered back against the wall. I slid down as I pressed my hand to the wound. Recovery from this kind of wound would take me awhile but that wasn't my concern. My concern was the God leaving his cell and crouching down in front of me to watch me die.

I startled alive when someone shouted no. I had no clue how long I was out but I could almost feel Loki still present. I played dead while I tried to gauge what was going on. I barely moved my eyes and noticed Thor now stuck in the cell. Loki was standing over another body barely 5feet away from me. It was Phil and he was bleeding from a wound much like my own.

Loki stalked away from Phil and over to the control panel. Blood dripped from the sceptre as he shared a look with his brother. He lifted the protective cover to the release button and smiled. His long fingers reached out and pressed that button. The cell dropped down and disappeared from sight.

"You're gonna lose."

"Am I?"

"It's in your nature."

"Your heroes are scattered, your floating fortress falls from the sky. Where is my disadvantage?"

"You lack convinction."

"I don't think I…"

Phil shot the odd weapon from his lap and I watched as Loki was flung back through the air from the power of the weapon. I sat up and crawled over to Phil. I moved the weapon and ripped open the shirt to look at the wound. His heart was pierced and his blood was gushing out of his chest.

I dug into a pocket and pulled out my knife. I had learned all those years ago that minute traces of my blood wouldn't be enough to help another person. They needed more. Phil watched as I slit my wrist and pressed it into the gaping hole in his chest.

"Trust me, Phil. You'll walk away from this. I won't let that bastard take away one of my friends."

I could feel my skin beginning to knit back together so I quickly took my hand away and used the knife to slit the wrist again.

"Interesting," I heard from behind me.

I was hit over the head hard before being pulled away from Phil. My head spun as I was thrown over someone's shoulders.

"You might be of some use to me," Loki said.


	4. Chapter 4

**Note: I don't own anything except Jo and the plot (which will follow the Avengers movie to a point)...I took some dialogue straight out of the movie because it fit the scene so don't kill me over it...Enjoy!**

**Note2: I know there's The Winter Soldier and I could continue but I'm hitting a block on where to take this story...I'll try to work through the block but it might be awhile, if ever, that I post the last part of this story...**

* * *

Life was perfect. I was content sitting on a lovely couch looking out an enormous window on the city below me. My purpose was to serve the greatest man in existence in any way he wanted. Loki, the God of Lies, was my everything.

"My dear, please come here and see the humans crumble under my army."

Getting up from the couch, I glided over to Loki and saw the Chitauri flying through the portal that was open in the sky. They flew in every direction and while I couldn't see the people below me, I could picture them scurrying away in fear. A large smile spread across my lips.

"Glorious."

A red blur streaked across the sky in front of the window and it landed on a small outreach from the roof. I heard Loki mutter something under his breath before he ordered me back to the couch. Easing myself down onto the couch, I watched as the red man was taken apart.

_Tony Stark: enemy,_ flashed through my consciousness.

He walked into the room and did a double take at seeing me on the couch. I flipped him off and focused on my God. He was decked out in his Asgardian outfit of green and black, luckily forgoing the helmet. I couldn't stand that helmet.

"Jo, what's going on?" Tony asked.

"You peasant, don't speak to me. No one but my Loki speaks to me," I hissed.

"Your Loki? Wait. You took control of her with your sceptre. Let her go, Loki, or it's just another reason to kick your ass."

"Tell me you're going to appeal to my humanity."

"Actually I'm planning to threaten, more now that I know you've taken Jo."

"The Chitauri are here, nothing can change that. What have I to fear?"

"The Avengers. That's what we call ourselves, sorta like a team."

I tuned out Tony and Loki and watched the sky. The individual Chitauri soldiers flew around and blasted their weapons on the helpless people below. Loki promised that I would be his Queen when he took over this world. I began to daydream about what being Queen would be like.

"Wait. It should work."

"Well, performance issues, you know? Not uncommon. One in five…

Loki tossed Tony to the floor and stalked over to his fallen body.

"Jarvis, anytime now."

"You will all fall before me."

"He's right. There's no stopping it," I piped up from my seat.

Tony was thrown out the window just before something flew out from the wall, hitting Loki off balance. I hurried over and helped him up. We watched as Tony's machine grew and encased his body in his Iron Man suit. He shot up in the air and hovered right in front of us.

"And there's one other person you pissed off. His name was Phil," Tony said, before blasting us.

We flew back and landed hard on the floor. My head collided with the edge of a table.

_I need a CAT scan after all these head injuries,_ I thought.

I could make out Loki striding across the floor and heading outside. I eased myself up and tried to clear my head. Last thing I remembered clearly was Phil and then it took only a second for the missing time to slot itself into my memory.

I bolted from the floor over to the liquor and grabbed a Scotch. I took a large gulp and gargled. I needed to get Loki out of my mouth. I drank back some of the liquor and watched as Thor slammed down onto the roof. Loki, all decked out in his Godly armour, turned to face him.

"I really hate that helmet," I muttered.

"Loki, turn off the Tesseract or I'll destroy it."

"You can't. There's no stopping it. There's only war."

"So be it," Thor growled.

I watched as the two brothers fought before heading over to the other door. I could see the contraption on another outreach of the roof. I needed to see if there was anything I could do to stop it. The portal had already opened and the army of aliens were flying through to our world.

Erik Selvig was lying unconscious on the rocks. I hurried over to the machine and tried to make sense of it.

"Shit."

Rather than trying to figure it out, I hurried back to Dr. Selvig and tried to wake him. I patted his cheeks before really slapping him hard. Nothing was working. Hearing a Quinjet, I looked up. I could make out Clint at the controls with Natasha sitting beside him. They were taking aim at Loki.

Unfortunately, he was quicker in getting a shot off. The beam collided with one of their engines and they began spiralling away from Stark Tower. Thor attacked Loki and they continued to fight. At a large roar, I looked up at the portal and saw some huge monster slinking its way out. It had to be at least 100feet long and was covered in protruding bones. It let out another roar as Chitauri launched themselves from its underbelly.

"Double shit."

"Look at this. Look around you," Thor yelled. "You think this madness will end with your rule."

I didn't catch Loki's reply but saw the glint of a blade before Loki jammed it into Thor's side. Despite the injury, Thor was able to grab his brother and slam him down into the concrete. The God of Lies rolled away and teetered on the edge for a moment before slipping over. I craned my neck to see him land on one of those Chitauri gliders.

Leaving Dr. Selvig, I hurried over to Thor. He pulled out the blade and tossed it to the ground. He took in the elaborate dress I was wearing before focusing on me.

"We have to find a way to stop the portal."

"Our mother has a dress just like that," he commented. "You find a way while I help stop the Chitauri from destroying your world."

He called up his hammer and flew off the roof.

"Great."

Spying the sceptre, I grabbed it and hurried back to the contraption and Dr. Selvig. The shield surrounding the Tesseract was impenetrable but maybe the sceptre would be able to get through. I pointed it at the contraption and willed it to fire. Nothing happened. Grabbing it like a bat, I swung the sceptre at the shield and nothing again.

Tuning out what was happening around me, I tried to think of another way to use the sceptre to stop the portal. Out of all my years, nothing that I studied was going to help me now. I barely got through regular physics, let alone astrophysics.

"Come on, Doctor. Wake up," I called. "I could use some help here."

Dr. Selvig twitched and I hurried over. His head was bleeding but I helped to sit him up against a stone pillar. I saw a flash of red hair on a glider and watched as Loki closed in on Natasha. I raised the sceptre. A flash of blue light flew out of the end and collided with the glider that Loki was riding on. An explosion took out his glider and the one the Black Widow was steering. He fell to the roof while Natasha rolled into a crouch on another section of the roof.

I took aim again at Loki with the sceptre but before I could get a shot off, the Other Guy showed up. He slammed into Loki and took him inside the tower. I heard the crunch of gravel as Natasha ran over. I turned back to Dr. Selvig briefly before I was slammed from behind.

The sceptre fell from my grasp and I faced my friend.

"What the hell?" I asked as she threw a punch.

I blocked it and tried to sweep her legs out from underneath her. She jumped and kicked out.

"Nat, it's me."

"Tony said you were Loki's."

"I was but now I'm trying to close the portal. Any ideas?" I asked, stepping back and relaxing out of the fighting pose I was in.

"The sceptre," Dr. Selvig replied. "Loki's sceptre. The energy…the Tesseract can't fight. You can't protect against yourself."

"It's not your fault. You didn't know what you were doing," Natasha tried.

"Well, actually I think I did. I built in a safety to cut the power source. The sceptre may be able to shut down the portal."

We helped Dr. Selvig up and he hurried over to the control panel. He righted the stand while I walked closer to the contraption. I raised the sceptre to the shield and pushed. It pushed back so I pushed harder. The tip penetrated the shield but then kicked back. I planted my feet and grabbed the sceptre higher up. I pushed it in, feeling the energy crackle against my skin.

"We can close it. The portal. We can close it," Natasha said through her comms.

I pushed the sceptre in further, creating a small tear in the shield.

"Watch your hands," Dr. Selvig cried out before my hand disappeared into the tear.

I gritted my teeth and shifted my hand slightly but I could feel it trying to repel the sceptre. I pushed back harder than before.

"Can anyone copy? We can shut it down."

I watched as she pressed the comms trying to get a response. I saw the slight sag in her shoulders when someone answered but then she tensed up. She turned to me and I could see the shock on her face.

"There's a nuke heading for Manhattan. Stark's intercepting," she said.

I nodded and pushed the sceptre in further. Dr. Selvig said the tip of the sceptre has to actually penetrate the base below the Tesseract before the portal will close, which meant my hands slipping further into the tear.

We all watched for Tony in anticipation. I spotted the red streak first and pointed it out to the others. Tony had the nuclear missile and he was guiding it right into the portal. It took me a second to realize what he was doing.

"Son of a bitch is going to fly it through," I shouted.

On baited breath we waited. One of the large alien reptiles crashed out of the sky and into several buildings while we saw a blue explosion within the portal.

"Close it," Natasha said.

"No. Not until Tony's back."

My hands were burning, the skin crackling and peeling. I pushed harder and further into the shield.

"Wait. There he is."

I looked up and could see Tony falling. I counted one second after he fell through to push the sceptre the rest of the way into the shield. The tip touched the base and a blue light encased it before shutting down. I pulled away and dropped the sceptre. Glancing down at my hands nearly made me sick.

"He's not slowing down," Natasha yelled.

Dr. Selvig and her ran to the edge of the roof to watch while I stared at my hands. The skin was black and I could see bone in several places. The energy had burned my nerves so I wasn't feeling any of the pain. I had never had an injury this terrible before so I wasn't sure if I would heal.

"Jo? Jo? Oh, shit."

"It's OK. The portal is closed."

A loud roar filled the air from the ground. I assumed it was the Other Guy. Natasha stepped closer and I backed up. There was nothing we could do about my hands but wait. She grabbed the sceptre and motioned for me to go inside. Holding my blackened hands in front of me, I staggered into the apartment.

Loki was smashed into the floor. You could make out whimpering coming from his prone body. I went over to the seats and sat down, carefully resting my hands in my lap. I heard a few small thuds but stayed focused on my hands.

"If it's all the same to you, I'll have that drink now," Loki said.

Glancing back, I could see everyone standing in front of him. Clint had his arrow pointing straight at him, Natasha held the sceptre, and Steve had his shield. Tony was still in his suit but missing his mask while Thor dangled his hammer from his hand. The Other Guy looked as if he wanted to pummel the God again.

"Can someone punch him for me please? I can't seem to do it at the moment," I said.

Steve hurried to my side and gasped at the sight of my hands. He collapsed to his knees and carefully took my left hand in his.

"How?"

"Closing the portal. It was the only way, Steve. I had to do it."

The others made their way over and were shocked to see my hands. Thor pulled his brother closer and pointed at my hands.

"That is what you did. You did more than just destroy their world. All in the name of war."

Loki's eyes tore away from my hands and focused on the wall behind me. I eased myself up from the seat and walked closer to the God. His eyes never wavered from the wall. Tucking my hands behind my back, I leaned into his body a bit before bringing up my knee. He sank to his in pain and I leaned down to whisper in his ear.

"That's for making me your Queen."


End file.
